Centre To Dismiss Mulayam Govt

Press Release Summary = The Union government seems to have made up its mind toimpose president rule in Uttar Pradesh before February 26

Press Release Body = New Delhi, Feb 20: The Union government seems to have made upits mind to impose president rule in Uttar Pradesh before February 26, the day ChiefMinister Mulayam Singh Yadav has announced to seek trust vote.

The decision was taken after the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held telephonic talksfirst with his UPA allies and later with Left leaders Prakash Karat and A B Bardhan.According to sources while Karat was opposed to the imposition of President Rule inany state, Burdhran remained non-committed. It prompted the government to go aheadwith the demand of the state Congress party to evoke Article 356 in Uttar Pradesh onthe ground that the govern current government has lost moral right to governfollowing the verdict of the Supreme Court.

The Congress Working Committee, which met Wednesday night, conveyed its position tothe government that free and fair polls to the state assembly could not be conductedunder the present dispensation. It left to the government to take a final view onthe issue. It is reliably learnt that prime minister Singh who was also present inthe meeting sought time to bring the UPA and Leftist allies on board on the issue.

Singh had already spoken to the leaders of DMK Karunanidhi who initially was opposedto the imposition of President rule. Singh has successfully brought in on board. Inview of the speculations that President APJ Abdul Kalam might refuse to oblige thegovernment once the Union Cabinet recommends him to evoke President rule in UP forhis close proximity to Mulayam Singh Yadav, Singh also called on the President todayafternoon and held detailed discussion with him on the current law and ordersituation in UP particularly in the aftermath of Supreme Court\'s verdict, whichdisqualified 13 BSP MLAs who crossed over to Samajwadi Party during a trail ofstrength.

Singh wants to build a consensus before taking a final decision on the issue. He hascalled a meeting of core group of the Union Cabinet today evening to share thedetails of his talks with the President Kalam. Singh met Kalam as there wasuncertainly in the Congress and UPA that the President might turned down thegovernment\'s recommendation on UP. In that case it could lead to a seriousconfrontation between the government and the President ahead of the expiry of histenure.

The SP has meanwhile cleverly linked the issue of dismissal of the state governmentwith Presidential election. The party has charged the Congress of conspiring to denythe UP assembly from participating in the voting to the Presidential election. PartyGeneral Secretary Amar Singh who is apprehensive of his future accused the Congressof attempting to got its man in the Rastrapati Bhawan by keeping UP out of thepicture.

The sources in the Congress said the government might act on UP before February 26as it would not like the Mulayam Singh Yadav to go for trail of strength on thefloor of the House fearing another horse-trading. The governor of UP T S Rajeswarhas in its report also recommended the promulgation of Article 256 on the groundthat the government has fallen to minority and break down of law and order machineryin the state.

However, there is a section in the Congress and the government that the impositionof President Rule might go in favor of SP as the party might get sympathy. This viewwas also widely discussed in the CWC meeting yesterday and since majority view wasin favour of President Rule, the party left it to the prime minister to decide.